He Comes Anew

(Written at the closing of the Doors of Mercy-the day Pope Francis closed the Year of Mercy)My subconscious is restless Everywhere I look, Babel I see Self-medicated numbnessA people enslaved by their passions The red horseman comes, no peace Heavy blade of 'tolerance' he wieldsThe beast has infected usA virus of group-think is his markCreative beauty dyingA bitter hopelessness takes its placeDeath

Carmel Is to Me

Carmel is a garden where“The Lord can take His walk”—With many terraces sportingCountless species and every typeOf flower, tree, bush, plant,And grass, all in varied climes—With some places favoringBeautiful blooms and flourishingVegetation; others wasteland,With bare dirt and jutting rock, yetBeautiful in the eye of the beholder,Their beloved. Some receiveToo much sun

Prayer – a response

The Way of Carmel

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} A guide to living,a way of life,a path through all of the twists and turns of human existence.Our brothers and sisters have followed this path,illuminating the way for us.“Your word is a lamp unto my feet,and a light for my path.”A path up the

a Silent Lamp

A poem by Gerald N. Alford in tribute to Thomas MertonI am a lamp,a silent lamp,burning in the space and timegiven as my life.Not with steady flame I burn,but under influencesgood and bad,I flicker.But yet I burn,and give some light.

~ home spirit

Evening lounges across the harbour, stretching off to the purple blue horizon. Sailboats, having stripped their masts lay scattered on a glassy sea, like so many chess board pieces.My island yawns before me in a Techni-colour dream. Its image burning bright green from clouds mirrored in the sky + blazing just for me. “When will I return to my father’s land? Now that

Night Owl

It’s Two o’clock and the house tucks itself in, settling for the night. The old wood creaking, sighing, purring itself to sleep. Tonight, I am its sentinel. Between solitude and sleep, two fatigues push and pull me down a valley of purple haze while fragments and dried feathers snap, scrape and break against my cheeks. Here bare knuckled skin brush

Bethany Hang Out – a blog by Shawn Chapman, OCDS. Shawn is a member of the Austin community of Secular Discalced Carmelites. She also writes regularly for ATX Catholic online.

Elizabeth Explores Writing - a blog by Elizabeth Ogilvie, OCDS. Elizabeth is a Secular Discalced Carmelite of the U.S. Central Province.

Gray Rising – a blog by Tim Bete, OCDS. Tim is a member of the community of the Secular Discalced Carmelites in Dayton, OH.

Hearth Cake and a Jug of Water – Mary Bellman, a member of the Dallas OCDS community, sends out a daily Carmelite quotation by e-mail. Send her an email at bellman.mary@gmail.com if you would like to be added on her mailing list and receive these Carmelite quotations.

Illumina, Domine – a blog by Pat Enk, a Secular Discalced Carmelite of the U.S. Central Province.